


Picking Up the Pieces

by maroonweb



Series: Picking Up the Pieces [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Peter Parker, M/M, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Precious Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28221465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maroonweb/pseuds/maroonweb
Summary: ***Spoilers, Please See Tags***"It was the only way."Tony stumbled, Peter caught him and cried as his third father figure crumbled to ash in his arms. Hopelessness consumed him as he cried for Morgan, May, and half of the universe on a red planet with a blue stranger.(I do not own Marvel or Spidey in any way.)
Relationships: Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Gwen Stacy, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Picking Up the Pieces [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2069976
Comments: 7
Kudos: 123





	1. The War

Peter Parker was nineteen when Parker Luck peaked. 

Everything was going well for once. It was his second year at Columbia and while he did struggle a little balancing his studies with his "hobby", he was making it work. After Tony had forced him to cut back his official internship hours in the lab, he even had time for tea with his favorite princess, Morgan. 

"Sir Petey, can you pass the sugar?" 

Peter grinned, "As you wish, dear princess." 

He passed her the Black Widow themed "sugar" with flourish and Morgan delicately, at least for a four-year-old, poured it into her favorite Spider-Man tea cup. 

"Would you like more tea, Petey?" 

"In a moment, Mo." Peter took a sip from his Iron Lad cup, playing along while listening to footsteps headed towards them. 

Tony strolled into the pink playroom. "Alright Maguna, Sir Pete has a date to MoMA he's going to be late for if he doesn't head over soon." 

"Noooo," Morgan pouted. "Five more minutes?" 

"Mo, I promise I'll play this weekend and I'll even bring Aunt May, how does that sound?" 

Morgan hesitated, then nodded. 

Peter turned to Tony, "Also, not a date." 

Tony raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at the Iron Lad tea cup Peter was holding, "I'm sorry, I meant double date." 

Peter flushed and put the cup on the table quickly, "MJ's taken and you know I can't stand him. He's the only person I know who's head is bigger than yours." 

"... and yet you offered Harley a personal tour of MoMA." 

"You were the one who brought my plans up in front of him! It would have been rude not to offer." Peter pinched the bridge of his nose. He pushed himself up from the tiny chair and bowed to Morgan, who giggled at his antics. "Always a pleasure Ms. Morgan." 

"Bye Petey! Larb you!" 

"Larb you too." 

He glared at Tony as he walked passed, but Tony clasped his shoulder. "I'm sorry for pushing, I was just hoping my two protégés would finally get along, you know?" 

His glare softened and he patted Tony's hand before leaving. 

"You're getting soft in your old age, Mr. Stark!" He called back as he headed toward the elevator.  
_______ 

Peter jogged to the bus stop where Harley, Gwen, and MJ were waiting. 

"You're late nerd." 

"Sorry, babysitting duty ran a little over." 

MJ rolled her eyes. 

"Excuses, excuses," Gwen said with a playful smile. 

Peter sniffed before taking a risk, "Harley's officially my favorite." 

Harley gave a look of surprise, but played along, "Only took three years darlin'." 

The bus rolled up, thankfully moving the attention away from the conversation. Peter's heart beat quickly in his chest. As they boarded, he thought back to his conversation with Tony. Harley and Peter's interactions had been strained since they first met in Tony's lab when Harley had decided to stay with the Stark's for the summer after his second year at MIT. 

Peter took responsibility for the awkward relationship as he always seemed to get tongue-tied around Harley and chalked it up to jealousy and rivalry. Harley attended Tony's alma mater, was charismatic, and managed to be a super hero without spider powers. He had perfect grades, perfect hair, perfect lips... 

Apparently Tony picked up on his little crush before anyone else, whether or not he truly realized it. He was surprised it wasn't Gwen as she spent the most time with them working as an actual intern at SI with Harley and as MJ's girlfriend. With Ned at Stanford, Peter often found himself third-wheeling with Gwen and MJ on a weekly basis. 

Peter shoved the fuzzy feelings down in hopes of having somewhat of a normal interaction with Harley for once. 

Gwen cuddled next to MJ at the first available seat on the left, leaving Harley and Peter to fend for themselves. Harley gently pulled Peter to the seat behind them. 

"Sorry," he gave a small smile. "I hate sitting next to strangers. The last train I was on, the woman next to me took her shoes off and put her feet in my face for eight hours." 

"Maybe it was her way of bonding?" 

Harley snorted. 

The bus took off and Peter proudly held his conversation about the pros and cons of public transportation with Harley.  
____ 

When the bus came to a stop, Peter felt a chill crawl up his neck. "Something feels wrong." 

Harley frowned, "Is it red and blue related?" 

Peter nodded and leaned towards their friends, "MJ, hey, we need you to cause a distraction." 

MJ turned to say something before seeing something behind them. 

"Holy shit," she whispered. "There's a spaceship." 

Chaos broke out as people started demanding to be let off the bus. "We're all gonna die!" 

Peter and Harley took advantage of the distraction to exit quickly. Once hidden, they each prepared their nanotech suits, Iron Lad and Spider-Man ready for the fight.  
____ 

They were not ready. Iron Lad had been incapacitated during the fight, holding a falling bridge while civilians escaped. 

Spider-Man, on the other hand, ended up on a giant metal donut flying into space. Tony was not happy. 

There was hope, in the form of an alliance with the Gaurdians. 

Then there was Titan. 

Then they fought Thanos. 

Then they failed. Peter had been so close to getting the gauntlet. 

"It was the only way." 

Tony stumbled, Peter caught him and cried as his third father figure crumbled to ash in his arms. Hopelessness consumed him as he cried for Morgan, May, and half of the universe on a red planet with a blue stranger.  
____ 

Harley stood in shock as the three people around him faded away in the middle of the Med Bay. Dr. Cho had just finished up with his cast on his arm when she herself turned to ash leaving him alone. 

He shook himself out of his stupor and pulled out his phone. Trembling, he dialed: 

Calling Abbie.... no answer. 

Calling Mom.... no answer. 

F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupted his frantic dialing, "Mr. Keener, your assistance would be most helpful on floor 90." 

Pepper and Morgan! 

Calling Pep.... "-- lo?" A small voice sniffed. "Help please--" Sobs. 

Harley's heart broke. "Morgan? It's Harley, are you okay? Is..." He hesitated. "Is your mom there?" 

Another sob. "No, she, uhm..." 

"It's okay Mo, stay on the phone with me. I'll be there in 10 minutes." 

Harley got to her floor in 6.  
____ 

Morgan fell asleep on the couch by his side after they made dinner, a task so normal it felt surreal. Harley tried not to let his panic show through as to avoid further traumatizing the young girl. 

He looked at his phone: 0 missed calls. 0 text messages. 

He wanted to scream. 

What the hell was happening? It seemed everyone thought Pepper would know, her phone hadn't stopped ringing. 

Pepper's phone rang again, this time with a recognizable caller: Rhodes Calling. 

"Rhodey?" Harley whispered. 

"Harley? Are you okay? Is Pepper..." 

"Pep... is gone, I'm with Morgan. I can't find Happy either." 

"Shit." 

"Yeah." 

"Do you mind watching her while I try to figure this out? I promise I'll explain everything when I get back." 

"Of course." A pause. "Rhodey, can you check on Abbie for me?" 

"Of course. Let me know if you need anything. I'll call again soon."  
____ 

Peter owed Nebula his life. For some reason, she had decided to drag his ass onto the ship. Together (mostly Nebula), they were able to get the thing started. 

The first few days were silent, Peter was on survival mode and he couldn't process. Then, he decided he needed distractions. He tinkered with things on the ship, asking Nebula about the different devices. 

They found little metal rectangles that reminded Peter of Jenga and, so, they played Jenga for three days straight. Nebula was competitive. 

Nebula was curious about other games. And TV shows. So she listened as Peter rambled about pop culture for five days, but they were running out of food and oxygen so Peter stopped talking and he slept until Captain Marvel found them and carried them home.  
____ 

Finally, Harley made contact with Gwen. She and MJ were okay physically. Gwen's parents had been traveling by plane during the snap and MJ's older sister was dusted, but parents were otherwise unharmed. 

Harley and Gwen had both lost the only family they had left to the snap. 

"Is Peter okay?" Gwen asked softly. 

"I don't know." It was another thing that tormented him. Was Peter okay? Was Tony okay? Would they be back? 

A low rumble grew outside the compound where Morgan and Harley were staying with Rhodey and what was left of the Avengers. 

"Gwen, can I call you back?" 

"Keep me updated." 

He hung up and looked outside where a spaceship was being carried by a glowing woman.  
____ 

Peter couldn't thank Nebula enough. She had kept him sane and to top it all off, she half carried his weak form down the ramp to his friends. 

He felt nauseated. He'd have to tell them about Tony and how Peter had failed to protect him. 

But all it took was one look to Rhodey and he understood. 

"Shit." Rhodey buried his face in his hands and the rest of the Avengers turned downcast. 

Harley, on the other hand, rushed up to Peter and put his arm around his waist to help Nebula carry him to a wheel chair. He'd be upset later, but for now he'd make sure Peter was taken care of and thank the lord for at least giving him Peter. 

Once they were settled in the compound's Med Bay, Peter glanced at Harley, "May?" 

Harley shook his head and held Peter as he cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by the hundreds of hours I've spent reading cheesy crack fanfiction, please enjoy.


	2. The Blip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Harley pick up the pieces.

It had been two months since Thor killed Thanos. Peter was beginning to fall into a routine at Stark Tower. In the mornings he'd make breakfast with Harley and Morgan, sometimes Natasha or Rhodey. Then Peter would do rounds across New York to help with the aftermath of the snap while Harley, still injured, watched Morgan. In the afternoons, the three of them would make dinner and watch movies. 

Tonight it was Morgan's turn to pick. 

"I want Spy Barbie. Like Auntie Nat." 

The boys grinned at Natasha, who was visiting for the week. 

"Don't." She warned, holding back a smile. 

"But you would make the best Barbie!" Peter laughed. 

"I warned you." Natasha threw a pillow at him. Morgan laughed and threw a pillow at Harley, declaring "girls vs boys". The teams made their own forts where they threw pillows back and forth until Morgan grew tired and asked to start the movie. 

Morgan snuggled up to her aunt while the boys stayed in their own fort. 

There was hardly centimeter between them. Peter glanced nervously at Harley, but built up the courage to rest his head on Harley's shoulder. Harley, in return, gently dropped a kiss on Peter's curls. Peter fell asleep and, for the first time in over two months, he didn't have any nightmares.  
____ 

The will of Virginia Pepper Potts and Anthony Edward Stark had completely taken Harley and Peter off guard. While they were close and had worked with the couple for years (having movie nights, dinners with May, built their suits together, babysitting Morgan), they didn't expect to receive the Stark Tower residence, F.R.I.D.A.Y, and billions of dollars alongside company shares. 

Additionally, if Rhodey were to ever be unable to care for Morgan, Harley and Peter were listed as her guardians. Although, as her current permanent babysitters, it certainly already felt like it. 

It was too much and had Peter gripping Harley's arm for support. 

"... and thankfully Mrs. Potts put this together. It's airtight, legally." 

"Thank you Mr. Kingston," Rhodey shifted in the leather seat as he read through the documents. "I'm not sure what this means for Stark Industries." 

"Well with this amount in shares, they partially own the company, along with Ms. Morgan Stark when she turns eighteen. They will be expected to attend board meetings and will have a vote in what the company does."  
____ 

Harley Keener did not expect to become Pepper Potts, but that is exactly what he felt like at the age of twenty-four. With Peter finishing his education at Columbia and Morgan being five-years-old, he was the focus of the corporate sharks at SI. 

Rhodey had done his best to train him from what he knew about Tony and Pepper's roles, but nothing could have prepared Harley for the politics of owning a share of a large corporation. 

He was voted as CEO in a landslide, being seen as an easy target to manipulate and someone to take the fall if SI continued on this path of destruction. 

The only good part of his days were coming home to Peter and Morgan. His everything. 

"HARLS," Peter shouted as Harley walked out of the elevator. "Please tell me you got my text." 

Harley looked down at his phone. 

Peter: Can you pick up some milk? Making cookies. 

Harley chuckled, positively domestic. 

"Harley, it's not funny, I promised Mo and we also need it for the dinner I have planned." 

Harley smiled, "Even grumpy, you are still the best part of my day." 

Peter blushed and looked towards the ingredients he had laid out. Feeling flustered and unable to respond, he took a handful of flour and turned to find Harley right behind him. 

"Don't you dare." 

Peter grinned and dumped the handful of flour on the taller man. 

Harley sighed and then quickly reached around Peter for the flour bag and the fight for the bag began. Harley pinned Peter's hand to the counter and continued reaching his other hand behind Peter, suddenly finding himself in a precarious position. 

Time seemed to stand still. Harley tilted his face towards Peter's, who's eyes darted to Harley's lips. 

"Please tell me I'm not misreading this," Harley whispered. 

Peter shook his head, "You're not. Uhm, I like y--" 

Harley cut him off with his lips and Peter, after taking a moment to process, responded eagerly. 

Peter's free hand moved from the counter to Harley's chest and Harley's moved to Peter's waist as the kiss went deeper. 

Morgan's voice interrupted, "Harley and Peter kissing in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" 

They broke apart laughing as they heard her run from the room giggling. 

"I think we're going to need flour too."  
____ 

"Thank you Gwen, you and MJ are lifesavers," Peter pulled the blonde into a hug. 

"Any time Peter, you know Mo is MJ's kryptonite. I'm just happy we could babysit for you two to actually do something fun for once. At least instead of, you know, getting sucked into board meetings or getting stabbed." 

Peter smiled ruefully, "That last one was only one time!" 

Harley walked in with MJ, having checked on Morgan who MJ had just read to sleep. 

"Hopefully the last time. I'm making his suit indestructible," Harley commented as he kissed Peter's head and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Seriously though, thank you. I've been begging Peter for an official date for months." 

"Months!?" Gwen and MJ exchanged looks. 

"You've been holding out on us!" Gwen playfully smacked the back of Peter's head. 

"Between SI, Spider-Man, and Morgan, it's hardly been the biggest news." 

"Peter, this would make the front page: Sordid Affair Between Stark Heirs," MJ joked. "We could make so much money selling this story." 

"Please," Peter rolled his eyes. "Like anyone would believe you, my name is still hidden from the public." 

"How do you balance two secret identities Mr. Parker?" MJ asked as she hugged him goodbye. "I expect all of the details later nerd!"  
____ 

Doc Ock was slowly gaining rank on Peter's long list of least favorite enemies. 

In one night, he managed to force Peter to be late to the anniversary date Harley had planned and realized Spider-Man was his most troublesome student. 

"Shit," Peter muttered. He was trapped by vibranium talons as Doc Ock cackled, holding Spider-Man's mask with another mechanical arm. 

"Not perfect Peter Parker," his eyes gleamed. "I'll admit, I expected Spider-Man to be a little less recognizable, but this will do perfe--" 

A repulsor fired from behind at Doc. 

"May I have this dance? Spider-Man and I need to have a little chat about punctuality." 

Peter grinned and took advantage of the the loosened claw to remove himself from the offending arm. 

"I apologize, I got a little held up." He flipped over to Iron Lad's side to help, grabbing the what was left of the mask from Doc Ocks' possession and throwing it on. 

"Ah well, all is forgiven I suppose." 

"Thanks for the assist Laddie. I've got it from here." 

"Pete, you do realize this is like the third villain with your name?" Iron Lad dodged an arm, aiming a quick shot. 

"You, uh," Peter winced. "You heard that?" 

He wasn't sure if he had imagined the sigh of irritation from his partner. 

"I'll handle the PR nightmare." 

Before Peter could respond, he sensed a danger in front of Harley and didn't even hesitate to jump in the crossfire while shooting a web to trap the third arm. The last arm sliced through Peter's abdomen as Harley shot the joint to disable it. 

With Doc Ock restrained and ready for the police, Iron Lad quickly took Peter's arm and shot a web at the wound to subdue the bleeding. 

Scooping up his barely conscious boyfriend, he took off. "F.R.I.D.A.Y, please call Dr. Ramirez and Dr. Banner. Have the Med Bay ready for Peter's wound according to Karen's vitals assessment." 

"Already done, Sir." 

"Thank Fri." 

He allowed himself to panic a little. "Peter, darlin', stay awake for me." 

"... I'm... I'm fine." 

Harley swallowed. "Gwen is going to be so pissed. We promised no more stabbings." 

"T'chnic'ly not st'bbing," Peter slurred, his vitals getting worse according to Karen. 

"Pete, you gotta stay awake baby," Harley rushed. The Tower was in sight and Harley was desperate. "Please, please, there's a ring in my pocket and if you want it, you have to stay awake. Fri, can you open the Med Bay window?" 

"Yes sir, Dr. Banner is ready to intervene until the medical team arrives in 5 minutes." 

Peter wanted the ring. "Harls, it h'rts. Want." He took a breath. "Ring." 

"Alright love," Harley said, arriving in the room and setting his fiancé down with the help of Bruce. "We'll take it from here." 

And Peter blissfully lost consciousness.  
____ 

Despite obvious hiccups, Peter and Harley actually survived past the three year anniversary of the snap. 

Although he absolutely loathed the spotlight, Peter removed two of his secret identities and came out to the public as Harley's fiancé and the other SI heir in one conference. He considered revealing Spider-Man, but thought it would be best to allow the rumors to ruminate for now. 

Unlike Harley who, protective as ever and hoping to bring the attention away from Peter, ended the conference much like his father figure. 

"For those of you who wish to harm our family. I wouldn't." Harley took a deep breath, "I am Iron Lad." 

And the crowd went wild.  
____ 

"Mo, Peter and I wanted to ask you something," Harley started as he sat next to her on the sofa. 

Morgan put down the book she was attempting to read, Of Human Bondage. A little heavy for the seven year old, but she wanted to make MJ proud. Unfortunately, she had been stuck on page one for what felt like hours. 

"How would you feel about being a flower girl at our wedding?" 

Morgan brightened, then pretended to think, "Hmmm... do I get to pick the flower petals?" 

"I don't see why not." 

"Then yes." 

He pulled her into a hug. 

"What did you want to do for your birthday this weekend?" 

"Well," she bit her lip. "I was hoping we could watch Mom and Dad's wedding video again." 

"That's a given." It was tradition on Morgan's birthday. 

"And I was also hoping to invite Maya." 

"Maya?" 

"She's a friend I met while visiting Auntie Nat's children's shelter last month." 

"Sounds like a plan."  
___ 

Turns out, Maya was a quiet four year old who's single mother had died in an accident during the snap. It also turns out, Morgan was scheming. She came clean to Peter and Harley at the end of the night. 

"Please, please, please can we adopt her?" 

"Morgan, she's not a puppy. She's a human being." 

"A human being who also lost her parent during the snap. Plus her name is almost like May! It's fate!" 

After deliberation and realizing Morgan really did need a friend closer to her age than her guardians, they decided to foster Maya and she fit in perfectly with the family.  
____ 

The wedding was a quiet and short affair despite the two being one of the most powerful couples in the world. 

Maya, in her pink tutu, was the ring bearer and only tripped three times on the way to the altar. 

Morgan followed in a red pantsuit reminiscent of Pepper, throwing blue flower petals. 

Their guests included a few Earth bound superheroes, along with MJ and Gwen (the latter two trying not to swoon at the sight of Black Widow). 

Peter and Harley planned to walk down the aisle together. The two met at the start of the aisle with tears in their eyes. 

"You look amazing. I am the luckiest man on Earth." 

Peter squeezed Harley's hand as they walked to the altar, "You're definitely the second luckiest." 

Rhodey, ordained by the power of the Internet, married Peter and Harley. 

Harley, always the drama queen, dipped Peter in a passionate kiss while everyone cheered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to name this chapter Blippity Boppity Boo, but it didn't fit the mood lol.


	3. The Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1 in 14 Million

Another two years passed. Maya and Morgan played princesses while their guardians watched and worked on projects for their respective departments at SI. 

With Harley taking over as CEO, Peter had turned his focus to R&D. Together they continued to work on developments that would satisfy the corporate sharks while helping those in need of electricity, food, water, and education. 

The two had given billions to small communities in honor of the Potts-Stark Foundation. It seemed things were turning up since the snap. 

There was a knock at the door of the small cabin they'd moved to in order to avoid the press. 

"I'll get it!" Maya jumped up and raced Morgan to answer it. 

"Auntie Nat! Mr. Rogers!" 

Peter and Harley went to welcome their friends, who seemed to have brought a guest. 

"Scott, meet Iron Lad and Spider-Man." 

"Peter, Harley, we would like you to meet Scott Lang aka Ant-Man." 

"Ah, my fellow bug-themed friend. This is a bit of a surprise. What can we do for you?"  
_____ 

The thought of bringing half of the universe back with time travel had Harley and Peter on edge. 

"I just don't see how this is going to work. Even if it did, it would create a paradox!" Peter threw his hands in the air. Their guests had left them to think about it. Luckily Maya and Morgan were exhausted after the visit and had gone to be early. 

Harley removed his work glasses and rubbed his eyes. He thought for a moment. 

"What if we didn't change the past? What if we heisted the stones here and brought everyone to our current timeline?" 

Peter tugged at his curls in frustration as he thought through what his husband was saying. "That... that could work." 

"Pep and Tony will have missed out on a lot with Morgan." Peter sighed, "But I like those odds a lot more." 

"Well, we're not Tony and we're not going to solve this in one night. So come on spider baby, we should go to bed early for once."  
_____ 

It took them one year to plan the time travel heist. Six years had passed since the snap. Morgan was ten, still young, but old enough to recognize what Peter and Harley's dangerous missions looked like. 

"Where are you going?" She asked after hugging MJ and Gwen. 

"We're not going far. Just the compound." 

She ran up, hugging Peter, "You'll be back? You won't get hurt again?" Her gaze focused on Peter, who was notorious for his injuries. 

Peter kissed the top of her head. "I promise I will be back before you know it." Harley hugged her to distract from the fact that Peter avoided her second question. 

It was supposed to be easy, go back, get the stones, and bring everyone home. But the spider sense humming in the back of his head made him feel like a liar.  
____ 

The team took off to their respective time periods. Peter had gone with Steve and Scott to retrieve the stone from 2012 and then 1970. Peter found himself discussing Maya and Morgan with Howard Stark one moment and then back to the present the next. 

"Did we get them all?" 

"You're telling me this'll work?" 

"Where's Nat?" Peter asked Clint. 

Clint merely shook his head. 

"No," Peter crumpled to the ground. Harley kneeled down beside him and the team mourned for their friend.  
____ 

When Bruce snapped, Peter felt the weight of the world lift off his shoulders. The birds, the bees, the world was moving around him once again. 

Instantly, it all came crashing down as anxiety overwhelmed him in the form his spidey-sense. 

"Guys- I think it worked." Scott commented hopefully, ignorant of Peter's sudden apprehension. 

Then the missile hit.  
____ 

The battlefield was dark and gloomy. Peter, Harley, Steve, and Thor all took turns taking hits at Thanos. 

Their future wasn't looking bright. 

Then Dr. Strange brought the reinforcements.  
____ 

"Pete? Harley?" 

In the chaos, a familiar voice broke through. 

"Tony!" 

"Mr. Stark!" 

The two hugged the older man, who looked quite dazed. 

"Dr. Strange said it's been six years, is that true?" 

Harley and Peter nodded, at a loss for words. 

"... Pepper and Morgan?" 

"Both fine, hopefully," Peter smiled then pointed at Rescue in the distance. 

Tony choked out a relieved laugh and gave the boys another hug before going to fight alongside Pepper.  
____ 

Peter glanced at his left hand. He had argued with Harley for hours, believing that his radiation matched the power of the stones better than Bruce (really with minimal evidence) so he should be the one to snap. He had lost that fight, but he created a gauntlet for his suit. Just in case. 

Good thing he did too. 

He launched one last attack at Thanos, giving it everything he had before being thrown against a boulder. 

Thanos smiled. "I am inevitable." 

He snapped. But there was nothing. 

Peter weakly chuckled, "I am Spider-Man." 

He snapped and their enemy faded to ash.  
_____ 

Harley's heart dropped at the sight of the ash around him. "No," he whispered, "No, no, no, no, no!" 

"PETER!" He shouted. He spotted the love of his life in the center of the destruction with radiation burns traveling up his arm. 

What Peter didn't know is that Harley also prepared for this. During their fights, Peter made it clear that he would be a self-sacrificing idiot if given the chance. 

So Harley prepared and mentally braced himself before moving to remove Peter's arm as surgically as possible with his new blade while Tony distracted Peter as well as he could. 

But Harley's vision blurred, unable to focus due to his tears, so Dr. Strange was there pulling him aside. Pepper gathered Harley in her arms while Strange removed Peter's arm with a spell and a clear blade.  
____ 

After Strange removed Peter's arm, he and T'Challa worked to move Peter to a state-of-the-art facility in Wakanda. 

Peter was badly hurt and comatose. Once Peter was out of the procedure, Tony and Harley never left his side. They were both silent with worry. 

May arrived first. 

Tony, unaware of the family Harley and Peter had built, had asked Dr. Strange for a favor for the savior of the universe and asked to bring what he thought was his only family. 

And so May stepped through a circle of sparks to find her baby boy had grown in the past six years. 

"Oh Peter," she sighed, moving to brush the hair out of his face. She turned to Tony, "The wizard says our kid saved the world?" 

Tony nodded, worried he'd get too choked up if he tried to say anything. So May settled between the two men and waited in continued silence for Peter to wake up.  
____ 

Tony only stepped out when Pepper called later that day. 

"How's Morgan?" he asked. 

Pepper couldn't even fault him for not saying hello. 

"She's..." Pepper paused. "Tony it's really been six years. There's so much. She's perfect, she's ten. Rhodey says the boys have pretty much raised her. Oh God--" she cut out with a soft cry. 

"Pep, bring her here. I'll have you both on the first jet I can find." 

"Tony, the boys have control of the finances." 

"Ah. That poses a small issue, I'll ask Harley." 

"Wait!" But Pepper went unheard as the phone call ended with a click. 

Tony entered back in the room. "Harley, you should go rest. Take a shower, grab some food, and if you get the chance, could you send Pep and Morgan our way?" 

Harley hesitated, before nodding and grabbing Peter's hand and squeezing. He hugged Tony and left the room without another word. 

Tony took his place next to May, who was fiddling with her watch. 

"You hate silence," Tony commented. "Did you want to catch up on the last six years together?" 

"There's no one else I'd rather catch up with." 

They asked T'Challa for a working smart phone when he came to check on them and they huddled together over the device turning it to May's favorite news website. 

The first article caught their attention: 20 Things to Know if You Were Blipped. 

It wasn't necessarily the title, but the photo. Peter and Harley were side by side, arms around each other in a rather intimate position for "friends". 

Tony clicked on the article. 

Welcome back friends. While War Machine, Hulk, and other heroes help the world adjust, we thought we might help in our own way by catching you up with the news. Yes, it has been six years. No, not everyone was blipped. Let's start with Harley and Peter Parker-Keener. 

1\. The World's Greatest Power Couple 

Harley and Peter Parker-Keener have been married for two years. While they may look like your ordinary couple, these two are the heirs of Tony Stark and your very own Iron Lad and Spider-Man. 

May's hand flew to her mouth in surprise. "Tony! Poor Harley..." 

"Why didn't he tell us?!" 

May thought back to Ben, "He's hurting more than he can put into words." 

When Harley walked back in shortly after with a blanket and pillow, May and Tony simply hugged him to convey their understanding. May helped Harley get situated and laid his head down on her lap to run her hands through his hair while he fell asleep.  
_____ 

Their next batch of visitors was nearly too much for Peter's room. 

Pepper had brought Morgan, along with MJ, Gwen, and Maya. 

"Harley!" Maya ran to her father figure and threw her arms around her neck. Harley held her like a life line. 

Morgan was unable to do much more than stare at Tony. 

He waved, "Hey Morguna." 

She waved back with tears in her eyes and started to move towards her father before her attention was brought to Peter in the middle of the room. 

"He promised," Morgan sobbed. "He promised he'd be back before I knew it. He lied!" She yelled at Harley, "You lied!" 

"Mo!" Harley shouted after her as she ran from the room. MJ took Maya as Harley and Tony jogged after her. 

Morgan hadn't made it far before she found a corner to cry her heart out. 

"Sweet pea," Harley knelt across from her. "Peter keeps his promises. He'll be awake soon, he's healing just as fast as usual." 

"Then why is he still asleep?" Morgan asked, voice muffled by her arms. "Mom said he's been asleep for days. He has to wake up." 

"And he will," Harley said with conviction. "But we have to be patient with him." 

Tony watched the interaction with a smile, thankful for each and every one of his kids. 

"Now, I think someone has been dying to hug you since he got back," Harley turned to Tony and nodded towards Morgan. 

Tony took a few steps forward nervously. Morgan looked up and whispered, "Dad." 

He took that as encouragement, scooped his daughter up in his arms and held her close.  
____ 

"My birthday is tomorrow," Morgan announced to the room. MJ and Gwen had left to check on their families, but Happy and the Keeners had arrived so it was still relatively full. "Usually we watch Mom and Dad's wedding video, but I thought this year we might also watch Harley and Peter's." 

Everyone turned to Harley, who was in the middle of playing Jenga with Abbie, Maya, and May. 

"Sweet pea, I think that's a great idea."  
____ 

Harley took his place next to Peter's sleeping form with Maya, Abbie, and his mom in front. Pepper, Tony, and Morgan snuggled on Harley's side while Happy and May sat on Peter's other side. 

The video began with Natasha chasing Maya and Morgan while the other set up the chairs. 

Harley and Peter could be heard whispering and arguing over who was the luckiest. 

May wolf-whistled at Harley's dramatic kiss with Peter. 

The wedding was beautiful, filled with laughter and love. 

"I still think I'm the luckiest," Peter croaked. 

The room erupted: Happy running to get the nurses, Pepper went to get water, the girls tried to gently tackle Peter, while May and Tony grinned and prevented them from hurting Peter too badly. 

Harley gently kissed Peter. 

"Please never do that to me again." 

"I don't plan on it, love," he laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your time ♡

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the hundreds of hours I've spent reading cheesy crack fanfiction, please enjoy.


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